Kokopelli was often depicted with an over-exaggerated phallus which is a symbol that is commonly associated with fertility throughout the ancient world. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture, hence the sack containing seeds. Symbols of this ancient deity has been found on prehistoric American rock carvings.

In the fertility legend of Kokopelli, told by the Hopi Native Indians, Kokopelli carried unborn children in the sack on his back and distributed them to women. Another myth told that when Kokopelli arrived in villages everyone would sing and dance the night away. In the morning, when he left, the crops were plentiful and all the women were pregnant. Young, unmarried girls often feared him – they had no need for a fertility spirit.